DAMAGE OF HASTE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 156, 15 April 1936, Page 3

DAMAGE OF HASTE

AN APPEAL FOR PRUDENCE. LABOUR AND GOVERNMENT. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 11, An appeal to all in the Labour movement not to drive the Government too fast in its legislative programme, but to co-operate to the full in making sure the ground was firm before another step was taken, was made by the Minister for Finance (the Hon. W. Nash) in an address at a social in the Trades Hall to-night, given by the AVellington Labour Representation Committee as a welcome to the delegates attending the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr Nash paid a warm tribute to the men and women who had worked behind the scenes for the success of the Labour movement, particularly during the year prepeding the general election. The responsibilities of the intensive work of the seven months before the elections, however, were not comparable with the responsibilities which would devolve on the Labour movement and the’ Government during the next 12 months.

“I hope there will he no drive to force the Government faster than it has gone,” continued Mr Nash. “The progress already made seems hardly worth while at all; but we are making sure, and we are going forward to build that state to which most of us in this room have devoted our lives.”

The Minister appealed for the fullest co-operation by those working in factory, office and workshop, by making the service they rendered better than it was when the previous Government was in power. Policy of Labour Party. When talking about the activities of the Labour Party conference to-day, the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) said the discussions at the conference had been most amicable; hut there was no suggestion that future lines of policy were to be dictated by the delegates. “The policy of the Labour Party is the result of 20 years’ growth,” Mr Savage said. “We placed that policy before the electors last year, and it received their endorsement. There will be no attempt on the part of the conference to interfere with the policy which is now being put into operation. The Government alone is charged with the development of Labour’s policy along the best possible lines, and there can be no interference from outside, either in matters of policy or of administration.” NO DICTATION ALLOWED. A DEFINITE PLEDGE GIVEN. WELLINGTON, April 14. The relationship between the Labour Conference now sitting in Wellington and the Government was defined by the prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) in an interview this morning, it was mentioned to Mr Savage that there was an impression in the minds of some people that the conference could dictate to the Government on questions of policy and administration, but he made it perfectly clear that that was not the case.

“The Labour Government,” said Mr •Savage, “is definitely pledged to carry out the policy that it placed before tlie electors during the election campaign, and no change of methods or of programme can take effect before another election is held. Past conferences have never altered or interfered with any questions; of administration foi the obvious reason that they have not had the knowledge necessary to enable them to do so. “For people outside Parliament to dictate the policy of the Government would be madness. People are inclined to overlook the fact that other political parties hold conferences and the Labour Party is not unique in holding annual conferences.” In the report which lie' put forward to the conference, said Mr he covered practically everything the Government was doing and most of the things it hoped to do. Several of the delegates had emphasised the need for great care being taken in carrying out the policy, stating’ that there were people not only in New Zealand, but in other countries as well, waiting foi the Government to make a false step. “Everyone,” the Prime Minister added, “realises that we have taken greater powers than have evci befoie been taken by a Government, but these powers will he exercised with the greatest possible care.”